Land Manufacturing, Inc. v. Highland Park State Bank

470 P.2d 782, 205 Kan. 526, 1970 Kan. LEXIS 318
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJune 13, 1970
Docket45,700
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 470 P.2d 782 (Land Manufacturing, Inc. v. Highland Park State Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Land Manufacturing, Inc. v. Highland Park State Bank, 470 P.2d 782, 205 Kan. 526, 1970 Kan. LEXIS 318 (kan 1970).

Opinion

This opinion of the court was delivered by

Fromme, J.:

The primary question on appeal relates to the sufficiency of process under K. S. A. 60-308 (the long-arm statute) to support a personal judgment against The Chase Manhattan Bank of New York, as garnishee.

The Chase Manhattan Bank is a national banking association organized under the provisions of 12 U. S. C § 21 et seq. with its office and principal place of businesss in the city and state of New York. For jurisdictional purposes a national bank is a citizen of the state in which it is established or located. (28 U. S. C. §1348.) Therefore, as garnishee in this case The Chase Manhattan Bank must be considered a nonresident corporation.

The events leading to the personal judgment against The Chase Manhattan Bank are as follows:

*527 Land Manufacturing, Inc. recovered a default judgment in the district court of Sedgwick county, Kansas, against the original defendants, The Highland Park State Bank and Plastics of San Antonio, Inc. This judgment was entered as a result of a breach of a contract which obligated the two principal defendants.

A year after the judgment was entered garnishment procedings were instituted against The Chase Manhattan Bank, garnishee, based upon the judgment. Service of process on the garnishee was obtained in the state of New York as provided in K. S. A. 60-308. The order of garnishment directed the garnishee to answer within 20 days from the date of service. The garnishee failed to answer within the time limited. The district court in Sedgwick county entered a personal judgment against this nonresident banking corporation in the amount of $23,856 as garnishee.

Four months later the garnishee appeared specially by its attorneys and moved the Sedgwick district court to vacate this judgment. It contended the court lacked jurisdiction in this case to render a personal judgment against this nonresident garnishee predicated on service outside the state of Kansas under K. S. A. 60-308. In support of said motion the garnishee filed an affidavit by James P. Power, assistant staff counsel of the garnishee bank. Service was originally made on Mr. Power in New York. His affidavit states:

“That The Chase Manhattan Bank did not transact any business within the State of Kansas which in any way relates to the cause of action between said plaintiff and principal defendants, The Highland Park State Bank and Plastics of San Antonio, Inc., in said litigation nor did said cause of action between said plaintiff and said principal defendants arise from the doing of any acts by The Chase Manhattan Bank.”

No affidavit was filed or evidence introduced by appellee.

During oral argument on the motion it was disclosed The Highland Park State Bank of San Antonio, Texas, one of the original judgment debtors, had on deposit in The Chase Manhattan Bank in New York the sum of $17,428.88. (The judgment was lowered to that amount.) The appellee argued generally that The Chase Manhattan Bank had representatives designated to handle its affairs in Kansas and that it was engaged in the banking business through its corresponding banks. During the colloquy between court and counsel the court stated that in its opinion The Chase Manhattan Bank was transacting business in the state when it was served with the garnishment and that it would so hold. Counsel for the gamishee-bank responded to the court’s statement by saying that he couldn’t argue with the court’s statement.

*528 The appellee argues this response of counsel for the garnishee-bank constitutes an admission against interest which has the effect of waiving the garnishee-bank’s right to question jurisdiction. We cannot agree. The bank filed no pleading in the case except the motion attacking the jurisdiction of the court. The sufficiency and effect of service of process under K. S. A. 60-308 depends upon more than a general admission of transacting business. The provisions of that statute will be examined later.

In order to determine the sufficiency of the service in this case it is necessary to understand the nature and purpose of attachment and garnishment proceedings in general.

A proceeding in garnishment is a means of attachment by which the moneys, credits or effects of a debtor may be reached in the hands of another person. Garnishment is either (1) a form of or an aid to attachment, or (2) in lieu of or in aid of execution. (K. S. A. 60-714.) A basis for jurisdiction in attachments and garnishments may arise from the location of the moneys, credits or effects within the jurisdiction of the court. In such case service of process may be by constructive service as provided in K. S. A. 1969 Supp. 60-307 (a) (2) to-wit:

“(a) When permissible. Service may be made either by mail where the address is known, or by publication in any of the following cases:
“(2) In actions brought against a nonresident of the state or a foreign corporation having in this state property or debts owing to him sought to be taken by any of provisional remedies or to be appropriated in any way.” (Emphasis supplied.)

See also Searing v. Benton, 41 Kan. 758, 21 Pac. 800; Freeman v. Keltner, 175 Kan. 37, 259 P. 2d 228; Standard Steel Works v. Crutcher-Rolfs-Cummings, Inc., 176 Kan. 121, 269 P. 2d 402 and Cadwallader v. Lehman, 202 Kan. 738, 451 P. 2d 163.

Methods of serving process on foreign corporations are generally cumulative. (Kaw Valley Produce Co. v. Railways Ice & Service Co., 176 Kan. 312,269 P. 2d 1038.) If the tangible property attached or garnished is located within this state other methods of constructive service such as K. S. A. 60-308 may be employed to notify the owner or holder thereof. (Cadwallader v. Lehman, supra.) However, in the present case the monies or credits were not located or attached in Kansas.

A second basis for obtaining jurisdiction to reach monies, credits or debts owing to a judgment-debtor may arise from personal service of process on the garnishee within the state. The court *529 thereby acquires jurisdiction over him and can garnish the debt due from him to the debtor of the plaintiff and condemn it. Situs of the debt is of little importance in such case. (Harris v. Balk, 198 U. S. 215, 49 L. Ed. 1023, 25 S. Ct. 625; 38 C. J. S. Garnishment §125.)

The foregoing rules governing attachment and garnishment proceedings are summarized in 6 Am. Jur. 2d, Attachment and Garnishment § 19, p. 574 as follows:

“It is a fundamental rule, at least with respect to tangible property, that in attachment or garnishment proceedings the res must be within the jurisdiction of the court issuing the process, either actually or constructively.

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Bluebook (online)
470 P.2d 782, 205 Kan. 526, 1970 Kan. LEXIS 318, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/land-manufacturing-inc-v-highland-park-state-bank-kan-1970.